The Gisborne Times WEDNESDAY, DEC 3, 1919.

Gisborne Times, Volume LI, Issue 5344, 3 December 1919, Page 4

The Gisborne Times WEDNESDAY, DEC 3, 1919.

The Labor candidate for the Gisborne seat was favored

with the presence of a large audience last evening when he inaugurated his campaign. Many of Mr. Brindle’s hearers were, doubtless, electors who are not likely to prove supporters of his candidature hut who were attracted to the meeting out of curiosity. It was, however, by far the largest meeting held locally under the auspices of the Labor movement. Not improbably a large section of the audience expected to hear a fiery address; but, if so, they would return home keenly disappointed. In strict fact, Mr. Brindle contented himself with what was little beyond a tame lecture on Social Democracy with allusions here and there to his party’s views on various problems which are of national importance. He proved himself to be a Labor speaker with a good flow of language, but the methods which be affected in attempting to impress the gathering were somewhat labored. On the broad question of the political parties he made a strong point of branding Sir Joseph Ward, as well as Mr. Massey, a “Tory.” Whilst disagreeing with him on the title which he applied to the Reform Liberals and to the Wardists we are certain that he was not wrong in inferring that Sir Joseph Ward has no right to claim that he is a Liberal and that Mr. Massey is a Conservative. Mr. Brindle’s object in so describing the rival leaders was unquestionably to win over to his side the votes of the electors

Mr. Brindle at His Majesty’s.

whose sympathies have always been in favor of'the “Red” wing of the Liberal party. How far he may have succeeded will, of course, not be known until the election is over. The main theme of Mr. Brindle’s discourse was that if Labor were put into office the inequalities of the present social system would soon be a thing of the past. His hearers,_ however. learned verv little from him as to how a Labor Government would set about to put into practice its objective—“the socialisation of the means of production, distribution and exchange.” Perhaps he may consider that he gulled the gullible section of his audience into the belief that the task would be quite simple and might, be achieved without a single symptom of revolution! _ If so he must- be easily satisfied with his own platform efforts. It is, we consider, beyond challenge that the adoption of the principle for which Mr. Brindle stands would mean the destruction of all private tenure of land and ownership of capital, the end of private employment, and the dependence of everybody on the State, through, some form of governing Labor body, for their means of livelihood. In other words the thrifty and the industrious are to have their savings—no mattter how invested — confiscated in order that the thriftless and the unenterprising may secure a share of profits of manual or mental exertion which they have not assisted to conserve! The electors of Gisborne are. however, not likely to be under any erroneous impression as to what would happen should any attempt be made to adopt, in this Dominion, the objective for which Mr. Brindle and his extremist friends stand. In Christchurch South Mr. E. J. Howard, the Official Labor candidate, quite bluntly told an audience what Mr Brindle, in the course of his address last night, preferred not to disclose. “I would like to point out.” .gaid Mr. Howard, “that what is taking place in Russia would take place in tin* Dominion to-morrow if Labor wer*> returned to power!” Would Mr. Brindle deny that if extreme Labor attempted to enforce its political creed in this Dominion a sanguinary class war would be unavoidable ? If he should do so, it is very plain that he would not be believed. The imported Laborite, too. had as might be expected something to say about the high cost of living and about profiteering. That the cost of living should have been permitted to soar to its present height is. admittedly, a matter of grave concern and for great dissatisfaction. But Mr. Brindle is not able to show that his party has made any feasible suggestion in the direction of effecting a reduction in the cost of living. In order that those whose incomes are made up solely or mainly from wages or salary may be able “to make both ends meet,” tile policy of demanding higher rates of pay for all kinds of work or service is in full force, but, as everybody is well aware, it is simply * aggravating the trouble. When everything is said that can be said on the subject, profiteering, wasteful and antiquated methods of production and distribution and—in the case at any rate of the coal mining industry—the “go slow policy” are really at the bottom of this sorry problem/ Mr. Brindle also aired his views on the indentured Labor question as far as Samoa is concerned. To compare the system of indentured labor, in Samoa with the slave system which resulted in such hideous crimes in Putumayo and in the Congo was absurd in the extreme. Does Mr Brindle not know that most of the indentured Celestials in Samoa have served the full periods of their indentures and that many are voluntarily remaining in Western Samoa? Is he unaware of the fact that the Chinese Government has all along insisted that on the expiry of tlioir terms of service the indentured Celestials may of right return to their Homeland? Has he not been informed that the Chinese Government has a Consul in Samoa to whom-'the imported laborers always hate free access ? Wliv is lie not fair enough to admit that there is no evidence that these workers are dissatisfied with their lot ? And why does he not acknowledge that the continuation of the system is but a temporary arrangement pending the final settlement of the details of the administration of Samoa ?_ Mr. Brindle’s protest against military training was also altogether too thin. He inferred that New Zealand need not perfect a defence system, because (so he alleged) the Socialistic anti-mili-taristic policy is gaining such headway in Italy, France, Belgium and otlier European countries that war will soon be out of date as a means of settling international disputes. It is not surprising that lie quite omitted to make a similar claim in respect of /Social-Democratic progress in Japan and her servile neighbor China. The ptihlic memory is, however, not so short that the fact may have been forgotten that, prior to the Great War, the pacifists pleaded that the Social Democratic party had become so strong in Germany that

that section of the Hun people would not allow their nation to wage war! Britain and her Overseas Dominions are not likely to be hoodwmkeu Mr. Brindle will be a sadder and a wiser man after the election because he will find that his effort to parade as ' tame stuff was it not Mr. A. Cook who recently remarked in Gisborne that extreme Labor did not want to see any “tame stuff” get into the House?— could not, after all, deceive the electors ef this important constituency.